Load-determining means



@ATENE JOSEF EOFMANN GFBAUMABJQCHE', SWITZERLAND.

LOADeDETE-RMINNG MEANS.

Application filed May 23,

To @il @0.7mm t may concern:

e it known that I, doser HOFMANN, a citizen et Poland, residing at Baumaroche, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Load-Determining Means; and l do hereby declare the followto be a full, clear, and exact de. cription ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to let ters or :figures or" reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

dy invention comprises means to determine the load between thel two peints of a vehicle between which a shock absorber or auxiliary spring is to be included.

At present, so far as I am aware, there is no device to determine these loads between the. point-s of connection of shock absorbers, and, as a consequence, shock absorbers are included between a running gear element and the vehicle body or body trame exten sion, regardless ot whether the shock absorber is adjusted to or adequate for the loads to be compensated.

in most automobiles the two points to be considered are the body spring eye and the body frame extension, although there are constructions where a shock absorber or auX- iliary spring is to be included between other pairs of points, one on the body frame and the other on a running gear part, to which my invention is equally applicable.

After determining the load the shock absorber or auxiliary spring will be chosen or adjusted in accordance with the load indicated by my invention.

I have chosen to illustrate my invention as used with the moreusual type ot vehicle, where a shock absorber is intended to be placed between the body spring eye of the running and the bedr7 trame extension of an elliptic spring suspension.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are similarly designated- Figure l is a plan view ot my invention applied to a vehicle.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the graduations on the scale beam.

The shackle connecting the body traine extension A with the semi-elliptic spring or the running gear is removed, as it is between the eyes of these two vehicle parts that the :23. Serial No. 640,900.

shock absorber or auxiliary spring is to be included.

On the bolt or on a suitablepin in one ot these eyes, for example on the belt C et the the spring on the running gear, l place the forked end 2 of a sca-le beam l, which forked end extends beyond the pivot bolt C and has holes for the reception of and forms a shorter lever arm that has a removablev pin 3. The pivot C theretore. lies between the ends of the beam.

On the bolt D, or on a suitable pin in the other eye, in the body trame extension, l mount a shackle l fl consisting of a pair ot plates, each having a perforation in one end for the bolt D, and several spaced perforations 5 in the other end for the bolt 3. These perforations 5 are to adjust the bolt 3 to diiiierent distances from the bolt D to fit different sizes and makes ot vehicles, whose shackles are of diil'erent lengths.

On the end of the scale beam and its longer arm I preferably place a stationary weight 6, and in addition have a sliding weight 7, slidable along the beam over a scale indicating in pounds the load, over and above that of the stationary weight 6, which stationary weight represents the minimum resistance for a shock absorber to be included between the two eyes, or the resistance for one of the springs of such a shock absorber.

The stationary weight may be omitted and the entire determination be made with the sliding` weight 7. These weights are provided with thumb screws 8 and 9 to hold them in position on the scale beam.

The longer arm of the sca-le beam l is proided with several scales graduated for different types of shock absorbers whose lever arms are pivoted together and the ratio of whose load arms to lever arms varies in dillerent ratios, for example, in the ratios ot l. to l, or l to 2 or l to 3, according to the type of shock absorber or auxiliary spring device intended to be used.

rlhe ratio l to l will of course give the direct load between the two eyes in pounds, the other ratios give direct readings in pounds for the strength of' spring to be used with the particular type ot absorber selected.

Other ratios may be give-n for special types of shock absorbers, and both sides, or only one side of the scale beam may have like or different graduations,

shock absorber or an auxiliary spring to a vehicle, which comprises a weighing beam '.i'fulcrun'ied between its ends at one ot said points thereby constituting a lever ot the first class, a shackle for connectingl the snorter arm of said beam and said other point, and a shittable weis/ht on the longer arm ot said beam.

3. A device for determining the load between the two points ot attachment ot a shock absorber or an auxiliary springto a vehicle, which comprises a weighing' beam ulcrumed between its ends at one or" said points, thereby constitutine a lever 01"? the lirst class, an adjustable shackle tor connecting the shorter arm of said beam and said other point, and a .veight on the longer arm of said beam.

it. A device tor determining the load between the two points ot a't-achment of a shocl: al sorber or an auxiliary spring to a vehicle., which con'iprises a weighine beam7 tulcrumed between its ends at-one ot said points, theii'eby constituting a lever ot the first class, a shackle connected to the shorter arm ot said beam and adapted to be connected to said other point, and a shittable and a stationary weight on the longer arm ot said beam.

5. device tor determining the load between the two points ot attaclr shoclabsorber or an auxiliarYY spring to a vehicle, which comprises a weighing beam tulcruined between its ends at one ot said points7 thereby constituting` a lever ot the lirst class, a shaclrle connected to the shorter arm ot said beam and adapted to be connected to said other point, and a slidable weight on the longer arm ot said beam, said longer arm having a scale tefraduated according to lever-age ratio ot the shock absorber or auxiliary spring.

G. A device for determining the load between the two points ot attachment ot a shock absorber or an auxiliary si ring to a vehicle, which comprises a weighing` beam having` a tori( at one end, and :tulcrumed between its end one ot' said points7 thereby constituting a lever of the tirst classa a shackle connected to the torlred portion beyond its pivot and adapted to be Connected to said other point, and a nf'eight slidable on said beam.

'7. i device for determining the load between the points ot attachment ot a shock absorber or an auxiliary spring,l to a vehicle; which comprises a weighing beam having;- a scale arm and a shorter torled arm hwingperiorations therein, a pivot. bolt passing' through said perlorations by which the beam is pivoted to one ot said points, a shackle connecting the forked poi-tion beyond its pivot and said other point7 and a weight slidable on said beam.

A device :tor determining the load to be carried by a member adapted to connect two co-operating` supports of a vehicle, comprisa weighing beam adapted to be tulcrumed between its ends on one of said supports, thereby constituting a lever ot the irst class, a shackle pivotally connected to the weight arm Ot said lever and adapted to be connected to the other support7 and a weight adjustably mounted on the power arm of said lever.

9. A device for determining` the load to be carried by a member for connecting` together the trame oit a vehicle and a spring` ot the latter, comprising` a lever having a fulcrum pin between its ends for connection to said spring, and forming a short weight arm and a long power arm, a shackle pivotally connected at one end to said short arm and adapted to be pivotally connected at its other end to said trame extension, and a weight adjnstably mounted on the long arm of the lever tor counterbalancing the load supported by said short arm.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing` as my invention, l have signed my naine hereto. l 

